I know that the gut reaction at this point for the Democratic Party, and many on the left, is to fight the Republican or the Trump agenda. The shutdown fight does not seem like a good play. To be clear, the intent is good, but just like comedy, and real estate, timing is important.

The HR 1 bill that passed in July of this year made major spending cuts to finance tax cuts.
One of those cuts was to the premium tax credit that was part of Obamacare. No matter how you feel politically about Obamacare, the mathematical result of reducing the tax credit is raising the amount of the premium paid by consumers. With those cuts in place, middle-class households across the nation will see their budgets affected by the true costs of health care — next month. Open season for health care starts on Nov. 1.

Right now the fight is about the shutdown. All the signs and TikTok videos are not going to change that. But once those health care premiums are set, and households start seeing that the result of these cuts is a new expense of hundreds of dollars monthly to keep the same health care, that is when you can have and win a fight about health care.

David R. Mongeau
Springvale